


Back End

by NerdsbianHokie



Series: The Code [3]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Carnival AU, F/F, Lucy gets hugs, References to Homophobia, got mixed feedback about the creep/scare factor, has clowns, haunted carnival stuff in general, lucy needs a hug, pre-director sanvers, references to controlling parents, so i don't know how far it actually go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 10:48:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16491110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdsbianHokie/pseuds/NerdsbianHokie
Summary: 1. the end of something that is farthest from the front or the working end.2. COMPUTING denoting a subordinate processor or program, not directly accessed by the user, which performs a specialized function on behalf of a main processor or software system.3. The far end of a carnival lot, where the large shows and rides are located. This placement of strong attractions draws customers from the gate through the entire length of the lot.





	Back End

**Author's Note:**

> Ayy, this au finally continues. I tried to get it up yesterday, for Halloween, but just couldn't, so here it is, a day late.
> 
> Big shout out to Sandstonesupspear, onefootone, and Jesi for reading through it and helping beta and stuff

Lucy pulled her hat off as she stepped through the door. Her gloves quickly followed, folded together and tucked into her back pocket. She wrung the knitted hat in her hands as she looked around the restaurant.

There were three occupied tables. A family at one, two couples at the others. A waitress was drying some glasses behind a bar against a far wall. She looked up at the sound of the door closing.

“You can sit wherever,” she said. “I’ll be right with you.”

“Actually,” Lucy said. She stepped towards the bar. “I was wondering if Ellen was here.”

The waitress narrowed her eyes for a moment. She eyed Lucy. “I’ll go check.”

She put the glass down, tossed the rag over her shoulder, and walked through a swinging door.

Lucy leaned back against the bar as she waited, swinging her backpack off of her shoulders, and setting it on the floor, leaning against her leg.

The lighting and decor of the restaurant gave off a Mediterranean vibe. It smelled like the kitchen always had as a child, the spices and oils and chickpeas. 

Until the divorce, anyway.

The kitchen never smelled much like anything after that.

“Miss?”

Lucy turned.

The waitress was back, a familiar woman behind her.

Lucy sucked in a breath.

It had been over a year since she had seen her mother. A short weekend after her high school graduation at an American school in Germany, before she had reported to the Academy.

They had gotten into a fight.

A fight that had ended with Lucy telling her mother to not bother showing up for any ceremonies at the Academy. So, the look of surprise on her mother’s face at seeing her wasn’t a surprise.

“Lucy.”

“Hi, Mom.”

Ellen blinked.

Lucy took a deep breath, fought to keep herself from fidgeting. “Can we talk?”

“Why don’t you come back to the office?”

Lucy nodded and followed her, going around the bar and through the swinging door. It lead to a hallway. Double doors to a kitchen were immediately to the right, and bathrooms to the left. Further down was a small office.

Barely big enough for the desk, chairs, and filing cabinet, Ellen had still managed to personalize it.

The painting of mountains that used to always be in the dining room was on the wall. A vase of flowers sat on the desk, next to a picture of Lucy and Lois.

Ellen sat on the edge of the desk.

Lucy stood by the closed door, hat twisted in her hands.

“I left West Point,” she said, before her mother could speak.

Ellen blinked. “Oh.”

Lucy looked around the office for a moment before shrugging.

“You were right,” she said. “I was mostly there to try and make Dad proud of me.”

“Lucy…”

“I could have done it, though,” Lucy pushed forward. “It was good. I was good. I could have gone far. I could have made it about me.”

“Then why did you leave?”

Lucy looked up at her mother.

Her throat closed up.

She had thought she could ignore it, had thought she could live with the secret. Then Kane was gone, and rumor was it was a discharge for violation of Article 125, and that terrified Lucy.

Lucy had looked up to Kane since Beast. She had been a junior and heavily involved in training Lucy’s class. Then they had been on the gymnastics team together and Kane had taken her under her wing.

Kane understood her.

High ranking fathers? People attributing their place in West Point to said fathers? The desire to prove to everyone that they were worth being there?

There had been a connection there, an understanding.

And, apparently, liking women was also something they had in common.

“Lucy?”

She blinked. She looked at her mother, at the concerned expression.

“Lucy, what’s wrong?”

Lucy swallowed around the lump in her throat. She shook her head, staring down at the floor.

She didn’t know how to say it.

“Did someone hurt you?”

Lucy shook her head.

A soft hand on her cheek tilted her head up.

Ellen’s expression was soft. She rubbed Lucy’s cheek with her thumb.

“Whatever it is, habibti, you can tell me.”

Lucy pressed into her mother’s hand.

“I’m scared,” she murmured.

“About what?”

“How you’ll react.”

Her mother let out a deep sigh. “I know things didn’t go great the last time we saw each other, but I love you, Lucy, nothing will change that.”

“I’m bi.”

The words tumbled out. Two short syllables that hung between them.

Ellen stared at her with wide eyes.

Lucy was ready bolt, ready to run and hide.

She was pulled forward. Arms wrapped around her, hugging her tightly.

“I’ve got you, habibti,” Ellen whispered. “I’ve got you.”

Lucy let out a sob into her mother’s chest. She dug her fingers into her mother’s back, clinging as much as she could.

Ellen let Lucy cry, holding her until she pulled away. When Lucy did, Ellen wiped some tears from her cheeks, brushed back some hair, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Come sit,” she said, pulling Lucy away from the door. She had Lucy sit in the chair against the wall.

“Dad doesn’t know,” Lucy said, watching Ellen grab the desk chair and bring it around. “That I left West Point, or, you know...”

“Well,” Ellen said as she sat. “You only have to tell him about West Point.”

Lucy nodded, looking around the office to avoid her mother’s gaze.

Ellen took a deep breath. “Did you leave? Or were you discharged?”

“I left. I didn’t tell them why, just that I wanted to leave.” Lucy glanced at her mother then looked away, down at her lap. “There was a senior cadet, one of the highest ranking cadets this year. She was discharged.” She shook her head. “I couldn’t do it anymore after that.”

Ellen reached forward, gently taking Lucy’s hands in her own. Lucy looked up.

“You shouldn’t have to.”

Lucy stared for a moment, then nodded.

“You’ll be alright, habibti,” Ellen said. “And you can stay with me as long as you need.”

Lucy nodded again.

Ellen let out a deep breath.

“Is your father still in Germany?”

Lucy shook her head. “He’s in Afghanistan right now. He’s supposed to be able to call me in a few days.”

“Alright, so we have until then to figure out how you’re going to tell him about West Point.”

Lucy took a shuddering breath.

“For now,” Ellen continued. “Let’s get you some food. It’s been too long since I’ve cooked anything for you.”

“Baklava?”

Ellen chuckled. “Only after you eat an actual meal.”

She stood, and pulled Lucy up as well. She brushed her thumbs under Lucy’s eyes.

“Why don’t you go freshen up a bit? Then go find a table, and I’ll bring something out for you.”

Lucy nodded. Her mother pressed a kiss to her forehead before gently guiding her out of the office.

Lucy stepped into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She leaned on the sink, staring into the mirror.

She took a deep breath.

She just came out to her mother.

And it went well.

She pulled a paper towel from the dispenser, wet it with cold water, and pressed it to her eyes to bring the puffiness down.

It went well.

If only her father would react that way.

He wouldn’t even take her leaving West Point that well.

Lucy balled the paper towel up and tossed it in the trash.

She stared into the mirror.

She only had a few days to figure out how to tell him.

Lucy took a deep breath, then pushed out through the door. She slid into the closest booth, tucked into a corner next to a window. She pulled her gloves from her pocket, put them on top of her hat and pushed them to the side of the table. She pulled a set of silverware towards her.

Her dad was going to be pissed. If she wasn’t worried he would find out second hand, she would be tempted to just not tell him.

Ripping the paper ring holding the set together, she looked around the restaurant.

The waitress was talking to one of the couples. A bus boy was cleaning the table the family had been at. Another family walked in and moved right to an empty table.

Lucy sighed. She leaned back, turning slightly to look out the window.

A few cars drove past. Some mothers with strollers walked through the park on the other side of the street. A water tower emblazoned with  _ Smallville  _ stood in the near distance.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

Lucy looked up at the waitress. “Just a water, please.”

The waitress nodded, smiled, walked off.

Lucy unrolled the napkin holding the silverware. She picked up the knife and started to tap it on the table, muffling the sound with the napkin.

A glass of water appeared before her. The waitress was gone before she could thank her.

Lucy took a sip, only just noticing how dry her mouth was. She spun the straw around the water, watched the ice twirl.

A small dish was set on the table. Lucy eyed the hummus and pita before looking up at her mother.

“Is sayadieh still your favorite?”

Lucy raised her eyebrows in surprise. “You make sayadieh here?”

She had spent hours as a child, watching her mother bake full fish for the dish before teaching her and Lois how to clean the bones out.

“I use fillets.” 

Lucy wrinkled her nose.

“I know,” her mother sighed. “Your Teta would be appalled, but it’s faster, and the people around here don’t notice the difference.”

“I guess I’ll try it, see how well it holds up.”

“I’ll have some right out for you,” Ellen said. “And maybe later this week, I’ll make you the real thing.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Lucy watched her mother go back towards the kitchen. She leaned back in her seat and snacked lightly on the pita and hummus.

Her mother had been a line chef at a diner just outside of Metropolis the last time they had seen each other. She had spent her nights working on a business degree and the restaurant had been nothing more than a concept.

Lucy ripped a piece of pita up.

She would have to talk to her mother about the fight, apologize for it.

Her entire life, people had said she was her father’s daughter. Her looks she got from her mother’s family, she looked almost exactly like her Teta, but her temperament and personality were from her father.

Or, at least, learnt from him.

Her work ethic. Her sense of duty.

It had been her pride that had kept her from hearing what her mother had said, that had kept her making contact sooner.

She flinched as what she had said floated to the front of her mind.

She really needed to apologize.

* * *

 

The apartment was small.

Lucy was pretty sure at least two of her old bedrooms had been bigger than her mother’s apartment.

“There’s only one bedroom,” her mother said as she pushed through a door. She closed it behind her, and yelled back through it. “I can take the couch until we figure something else out.”

“I can take the couch,” Lucy said. She set her backpack on the floor next to the front door. She walked into the living area, towards the far window. “I don’t want to cause any trouble.”

The window looked down at the parking lot. A corn field was just visible past a line of trees.

“You aren’t, habibti.”

Lucy glanced back towards the bedroom before sighing. She stepped to the bookshelf. She scanned the titles, then picked up a picture of herself. She put it down a moment later, and slumped down on the couch.

Wasn’t she causing trouble? Randomly showing up the way she had?

She sat up, leaning forward, her elbows on her legs.

She would have to figure something out fast. A job. An apartment. Research into schools.

The bedroom door opened.

Lucy glanced up long enough to see that her mother had changed, then looked back down. She tilted slightly as her mother sat next to her, then leaned into her when she wrapped an arm around her.

“You aren’t causing any trouble,” Ellen said.

Lucy nodded, not fully believing it. Ellen kissed her temple.

“You’re my daughter, Lucy. I’m here for w hatever you need.”

Lucy took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“Lucy…”

“What I said, last time, I didn’t mean it.”

“I know.”

“I guess I just…” She sighed. “I wanted you to be proud of me too, for serving, but then you weren’t.”

“Oh, Lucy. I was proud. I  _ am  _ proud. I just wanted you to think about why you wanted to do it.”

Lucy nodded.

Ellen kissed the side of her head, then pulled her into a tight hug.

“You’re welcome here as long as you need, and you’re taking the bed, don’t argue with me on that.”

Lucy nodded again.

* * *

 

Ellen jumped as something hit the wall next to the door.

She looked down to see the broken cell phone, then over to the kitchen.

Lucy was leaning against the counter, head bowed, arms crossed.

Ellen let out a small breath. A week and a half since Lucy had shown up, Sam had finally managed to get a call through.

It seemed to have gone as well as Ellen had expected.

Sam had always been stubborn. He had expected the best from their girls, had always pushed them as hard as he could.

Had pushed them to do what he wanted. When Lois had made it clear she would do her own thing, he had put all of his focus on Lucy.

With him getting custody of Lucy after the divorce, Ellen hadn’t been there to notice it, hadn’t been there for her daughter, hadn’t been able to balance his incessant need for perfection.

For his idea of perfection.

The regret sat heavy in her stomach.

She walked to Lucy’s side. She pushed down the instinct to pull her into a hug, but let herself set a hand on Lucy’s arm.

“He didn’t say anything,” Lucy said. “He just ignored it, then said he had to go.”

“Lucy...”

Lucy shook her head. She jerked away from Ellen’s touch before turning and marching out of the apartment.

Ellen stared at the closed door.

For all his faults, she had never really hated Sam until that moment.

* * *

 

Lucy took a bite of falafel as she flipped a page.

Fort Hays State University.

Medium sized. Public school. Rural school.

McPherson College.

Small. Private. Suburban.

She flipped a chunk of pages.

Benedictine College.

Small. Private. Rural.

Lucy sighed. She closed the book and shoved it away from her. She glared at it for a moment before slumping back and looking out the window.

The water tower stood stark against the noon sky.

Her shift would start soon.

Lucy closed her eyes, tapping her highlighter on the table.

Nineteen years old. A college drop out. Working as a waitress in her mother’s restaurant.

Her life was going just great.

The door opened, then closed a few moments later.

Lucy opened her eyes, checking the size of the party. If it was big enough, her mom might have her start early.

It was three girls. Two around her age, and a younger one who should probably be in middle school.

They walked up to the bar and asked for her mother.

Lucy watched as her mother came from the back and grinned.

Her mother moved around the bar, hugging each of them in turn.

Lucy’s stomach twisted. Her and her mother had been better in the past few weeks, but things still got tense at times. Seeing her act so at ease with people her age was…

And they turned to her.

And her mother was leading them to her table.

“Lucy, this is Alex, Maggie, and Kara. Girls, this is Lucy, my daughter.”

Lucy gave them a small wave.

“They’re with the carnival that just came to town,” her mom continued.

Lucy raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t heard anything about a carnival.

“Can they sit here while I get them some food?”

Lucy resisted the urge to look around at the almost completely empty restaurant. “Sure.”

Lucy furrowed her brow as her mother winked at her. Her mother was up to something.

“I’ll be right back,” her mother said before walking off.

The girls watched Lucy.

Lucy watched them back for a few moments before pulling the book back towards her and gesturing towards the empty bench.

“I’m Kara,” the youngest said, sitting next to her.

“I’m Lucy,” she replied.

“If you’re Ellen’s daughter, you’re Lois’ sister, right?”

Lucy shrugged. “Yeah.”

“So you know Clark?”

“We haven’t met.”

“He is my cousin,” Kara said. She glanced at the other girls across the table. “Alex is my sister. Maggie is her girlfr-”

There was a thud then Alex cursed under her breath.

Kara tilted her head, then her eyes went wide. “Oh, right. Maggie is her friend. Both of our friend, really.”

Lucy eyed the older girls.

Girlfriends. Kara had been about to say they were girlfriends.

That was probably why her mother had brought them over. She had hardly been subtle in pointing out any girl she thought might not be straight.

Well, at least they were both cute.

“So,” Lucy drawled. “Carnival?”

Alex nodded. “We open tonight.”

“I haven’t seen anything about a carnival.”

“We arrived yesterday. We’re set up not far outside of town.”

“We actually stopped by to ask Ellen if we could put a flyer up on the bulletin board by the door again,” Maggie said. She passed a paper over.

The design looked vintage, large letters, sepia tones, and red ink. The word ‘Funfair’ crossed above the picture of a ferris wheel in the center of the page. Across the bottom were directions to a field outside of town and times of operation.

There were no dates.

“We stop in Smallville every year,” Alex said. “We were here for the restaurant’s opening last year.”

“And they brought me one of the busiest weeks I’ve had,” Ellen said, walking up with Dylan, one of the other waitresses. They both set the trays they were holding on folding stands and started to set dishes on the table.

Lucy raised an eyebrow at the sheer amount of food, then glanced at her mother when most of it was put in front of Kara.

Her mother winked again.

Lucy stared at her in confusion, and twisted to watch her walk away.

“Last year, your mom said you were at that big Army school,” Maggie said, pulling Lucy's attention back to the table.

“West Point, yeah,” she said.

“So, you're in the Army?” Alex asked.

Lucy shook her head. “No, I left.”

“Why?” Kara asked between bites of kafta.

Lucy shrugged with one shoulder. She twirled her highlighter between her fingers. She looked back and forth between Alex and Maggie.

The desire to tell them rose in her.

Then something passed Maggie’s face, and Lucy knew that she had figured it out. Maggie leaned close to Alex, whispered in her ear. Alex narrowed her eyes, watched Lucy for a few moments, then grinned.

“Why don’t you come by the carnival later?” Alex asked.

Lucy blinked. She stared at the two of them.

“I, uh, have work tonight,” she said.

“You can take the night off,” her mom said, walking past the table.

“What? Mom!”

Her mom kept walking. Lucy stared after her.

“Great,” Alex said. “We open at three. I have to work until five thirty, then Maggie’s shift starts at nine, but we can show you around between our shifts.”

“Although,” Maggie jumped in. “It does get scary after dark.”

“I’m not afraid of the dark,” Lucy said.

Alex and Maggie both chuckled.

“It’s not because of the dark,” Maggie said.

“This time of the year it gets turned into a haunted carnival after sunset,” Alex said.

“It’s really scary,” Kara murmured.

“What do you say, Lucy?” Alex asked.

“Well, I do want to see exactly how scary it is,” Lucy said. It was true, but she also did not want to look like a wimp in front of those two.

Alex and Maggie grinned.

“You can meet us there, later,” Maggie said. “Or, you can come with us when we’re done here.”

“She can go with you,” Ellen said as she stepped up to the table. She gathered the plates Lucy hadn’t even noticed had been emptied. “It’d be good for you to actually go out.”

Lucy’s face started to heat up.

“You can put your stuff in my office, habibti.”

Lucy sighed. “Thanks, Mom.”

“We should probably head out now, actually,” Alex said. “I need to be there a little early to make sure things are ready for open.”

“Then how about I take Lucy’s stuff, so you can head out now?”

Without waiting for a response, her mother set the tray of dishes on a nearby table, then grabbed Lucy’s book and notebook.

Lucy stared after her as she walked off.

Laughing pulled her attention back to Alex and Maggie.

“Sorry,” Maggie said, failing to fight a grin. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”

Lucy sighed, then shrugged. “I guess I don’t have anything else to do tonight, besides-” she leaned forward, smiling at them. “I can think of worse ways to spend the night then have a couple of cute girls show me around a fair.”

They both blushed.

Not ten minutes later, Lucy was sitting in the bed of a rusted old pickup, back against the cab.

She looked from the corn fields flying past, to Maggie.

Long black hair. Eyes that glinted in the sunlight.

Lucy blinked as Maggie turned to grin at her. 

Wow. Dimples.

Hair whipped across Maggie’s face, and for a moment, Lucy was in some road trip movie that had weird close ups and probably too many sunset shots.

Maggie leaned towards her, their shoulders pressed together.

“We’ll have some time before we actually open,” Maggie said. “So I’ll give you a tour before the crowds are let in.”

“I’d like that,” Lucy replied.

Maggie’s grin grew. Her dimples dug deeper into her cheeks.

Despite ignoring it, Lucy had known she liked girls since middle school. She had experienced multiple crushes over the years. But, she had never felt the urge to kiss a girl as much as she had in that moment.

The wind whipped their hair around them. Maggie’s thigh, shoulder, arm, pressed into her. Their feet knocked together with each bump in the road.

“How long are you all in town?” she asked, pushing the feeling down.

Even if she felt confident enough to follow the urge, Maggie was dating Alex.

Maggie shrugged. Their shoulders brushed.

“Not sure. It’s all up to J’onn.”

“J’onn?”

“The owner.”

“Gotcha.”

“But we’ll at least be here through the end of next week,” Maggie continued.

“Why?”

“Kara and Clark have some family tradition thing next Thursday. It’s actually why we’re here.”

“Not Alex?”

“What?”

“Kara and Clark, but not Alex? I thought they were sisters.”

“Adopted sisters.”

The truck slowed, then turned. 

In one smooth movement, Maggie stood and turned around.

Lucy stared up at her, eyes wide.

“What are you doing?” she called over the wind.

Maggie looked down at her, eyes glinting, hair wild. She offered a hand.

Lucy stared at her hand for a moment, then rolled her eyes and took it. Maggie pulled her to her feet.

Lucy braced herself against the cab. Maggie slipped her hand from Lucy’s, then slid her arm around Lucy’s waist, grabbing the truck on the other side.

“This okay?” Maggie asked.

Lucy nodded. She pressed close to Maggie and put her hand on top of Maggie’s.

Alex took another turn, onto a gravel road.

“There it is,” Maggie said, pointing with her other hand.

Lucy stared.

Just past a barn and silo, a massive ferris wheel rose above the farmland. A large circus tent was raised behind the barn. There were already cars parked on both sides of the road. People milled around, sitting in truck beds, on the hoods of cars.

“That’s a lot of people,” Lucy said.

“Usually are when we go back somewhere we go regularly,” Maggie replied.

Lucy pressed closer against Maggie as the truck slowed to a stop. Maggie squeezed her lightly.

Alex honked at some people gathered at the entrance to a dirt road. The people looked at her but didn’t move. Alex laid on the horn. Maggie chuckled.

“She has little patience for rubes,” Maggie explained.

The group thinned until the last one, a tall guy in a backwards baseball cap, flipped them off before leaving.

Lucy could just see Alex’s hand sticking out of the window to return the gesture.

“Very little patience,” Maggie chuckled.

Lucy watched the barn and tent as they drove past. One of the tent flaps had been fixed to the rear entrance to the barn, forming a tunnel.

The truck slowed and stopped just past the tent. Maggie jumped over the side of the truck bed, and gestured for Lucy to follow. Lucy didn’t hesitate.

Once they were off the path, Alex drove off.

“Where are they going?” Lucy asked, staring after the truck.

“The back yard,” Maggie replied.

“The what?”

“Where our trailers are. Come on.”

Maggie held her hand out. Lucy took it and let herself be pulled towards the fairground.

“You live in trailers?” Lucy asked.

“Yeah, every now and then we’ll get rooms at a motel, but in general we just use our trailers. I share one with Alex and Kara.”

“That sounds crowded.”

Maggie groaned. “You have no idea. But, it’s better than the one we had when I first joined.”

“Yeah?”

Maggie scoffed. “They had one bed.”

Lucy laughed. “And now?”

Maggie guided her around the tent.

“A queen and a set of bunk beds.”

“Nice.”

“Yup.” Maggie looked at her out of the corner of her eye. “Kara uses one of the bunk beds. Alex and I share the queen.”

Lucy raised an eyebrow.

“You’re dating, right?”

Maggie’s smile turned shy. “Yeah.”

“You two are cute together.”

“You’ve barely seen us interact.”

“Maybe, but you’re both cute on your own, so, logically, you’re cute together.”

Maggie gasped, raised her hand to her chest. “Are you flirting with me? Right after I said I had a girlfriend?”

“Have you been flirting with me since you sat at my table? With your girlfriend?”

Maggie laughed.

They stepped over a few cords running from the tent to a nearby booth, and entered the actual fairgrounds.

“We will back off, though, if you want us to,” Maggie said.

Lucy squeezed Maggie’s hand, nudged her with her shoulder. “You’re fine.”

Maggie grinned. “Cool. Now, that tour.” She flourished her arm to the side. “This is the big top. The tent itself has been with the carnival since its origin as a freak show in 1863.”

Lucy looked up at the tent, at the faded purple and red. Large banners hung on the sides, each promoting a different act.

“During the day,” Maggie continued, “it’ll be a pseudo freak show thing, but at night, it’ll turn into a haunted house. Although, the normal show is freaky enough already.”

“You scared of a haunted house?”

“This one? Terrified, and not ashamed to admit it. They’ve been doing it since the twenties.”

“Wow.”

Lucy held Maggie’s hand as Maggie guided her through the carnival. She spent more time watching Maggie give her random facts about the carnival than actually looking around.

The ferris wheel was unofficially the largest, transportable ferris wheel in the country.

The carousel was a century old, wooden, and hand carved.

The kiddie rides were the worst ones to clean.

The tilt-a-whirl was often used to haze greazens - newcomers to the carnival.

Maggie was explaining to her how the basketball game was rigged when the carnival opened. Maggie’s hand slipped from hers as the crowd started to grow around them.

“Sorry,” Maggie murmured. “It’s just…”

“I get it,” Lucy said, nudging her.

“You hungry?”

Lucy nodded. It had been a few hours since the falafel at the restaurant, and still two hours until Alex got off.

“Maybe a snack?” she asked.

Maggie nodded. “Cajun fries good?”

“Cajun fries are great.”

Maggie led her to a collection of food stands. Lucy hung back, watching Alex work at another window as Maggie got their fries.

They waved at Alex as they passed her window. She scrunched up her nose and stuck her tongue out at them.

Lucy and Maggie meandered around the carnival as they ate. Maggie continued to talk.

She told Lucy the rumours that the Tunnel of Love was haunted.

She pointed out which games could actually be won and which were completely rigged.

She stepped behind a popcorn cart and grabbed them bottles of water.

Every now and then, a carny would call out to Maggie in a language Lucy couldn’t understand. It was a rolling language, rhythmic, with hard consonants and a lot of zs. Maggie replied in the same language.

As the sun started to go down, Maggie led Lucy back towards the food stands. They settled at a picnic table between the food stands and a kiddie fun house. Maggie straddled the bench so she was facing Lucy.

“So, what do you think so far?” Maggie asked.

“I think you’re cute.”

Maggie blushed and ducked her head.

“I meant about the carnival,” she mumbled.

“It’s cool, but not as cute as you.”

“And Alex thought you would be bashful and quiet.”

Lucy chuckled. She grinned as Alex stepped up behind Maggie.

Alex held a finger to her lips and winked at Lucy. She straddled the bench behind Maggie, who jumped when Alex slid her arms around her waist.

“Did I hear my name?” Alex asked.

“We were talking absolute shit about you,” Maggie said.

“I’m sure you were.”

“How was your shift?”

Alex groaned. She leaned heavily on Maggie. “I hate people. I hate dough. I hate frying things.”

“I’m sure you could get moved somewhere else.”

“But then I’d have Kara complaining about how nobody makes fried oreos properly.”

“Is that worth staying in the dough shack?”

“Yes.”

Alex looked up at Lucy and grinned.

“You sick of her yet?” Alex asked.

“Maybe a little,” Lucy teased.

Maggie’s jaw dropped.

Lucy laughed. Warmth ballooned in her chest at how easy it was to fall into the banter, at how right it felt. She smiled at Maggie.

“I’ve had a lot of fun so far, and haven’t even gotten on a single ride,” Lucy said.

Maggie grinned.

“Wanna do rides now, then?” Alex asked.

“We can skip right to the front of the lines,” Maggie said. “So we should be able to get a few in before the haunting starts.”

“What exactly is the haunting?” Lucy asked.

Alex stood. “C’mon, we’ll explain on the way to the Fire Ball.”

Lucy stood. “Fire Ball?”

“The ride that’s like a roller coaster loop,” Maggie told her. “Alex always wants to ride it after a shift.” She stood. “Because she’s weird.”

“Oh, sure, I’m the weird one,” Alex said. “Anyway, the haunting.”

They settled into an easy pace, Lucy between the other two.

“At sunset, there’ll be a show in front of the big top,” Alex said. “After that, the entire carnival gets turned into a haunted carnival. Actors in costumes will be spread throughout, ready to scare anyone.”

“And most of the enclosed attractions are being shut right now, to transform them to dark rides or haunted houses,” Maggie added.

Lucy nodded, but her attention had been pulled by the ride they were approaching. Round, with a single train going back and forth.

Then upside down.

It paused for a moment, before going fully around the track.

“That looks amazing,” she said.

Alex laughed. Maggie groaned.

They walked past the line, up the exit ramp.

“Eizel!” Alex called.

The man at the entrance looked over. He grinned, then made his way towards them. He raised an eyebrow at Lucy.

He said something in the language Lucy figured was some sort of carnival lingo. Whatever it was, it made Alex roll her eyes and spit something back.

Eizel laughed. “You three want on?”

“Nah, we just wanted to come shoot the shit,” Alex said.

“Oh, alright, then.” He turned to walk away.

Alex groaned.

“Eizel, c’mon.”

He turned back and grinned. “Alright, next cycle. Front car?”

“Of course.”

When the ride stopped, Eizel unlocked the exit gate, letting them enter before going to unlock the riders.

“Maggie's gonna need to sit in the middle, if that's okay with you,” Alex said as they waited for the riders to exit.

“I don't need to sit in the middle,” Maggie argued.

“Oh, so you're good to sit on the end?”

Maggie narrowed her eyes at Alex before sighed. She turned to Lucy.

“Is it alright if I sit in the middle?” she asked.

“It's fine,” Lucy said, laughing lightly.

Ignoring the complaints from the people in line, they climbed into the front car. As soon as the harnesses were secured and the lap bar clicked in place, Maggie’s hands slipped into the Alex and Lucy’s.

Alex teased her lightly as the rest of the riders got on.

Maggie squeezed hard when the ride started.

Alex’s expression softened.

“You’re fine,” she said. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

Maggie nodded, not looking convinced.

“We’ll be right here the entire time,” Lucy told her.

Maggie nodded again.

The train rocked back and forth, going higher and higher up the loop.

Maggie’s grip tightened with each pass.

Alex was laughing on her other side.

Lucy’s stomach dropped when it paused at the top, the harness digging into her shoulders. Then it continued forward, hurtling around towards the ground.

The ride was over before Lucy realized.

Her grin was huge as she climbed off. Her throat scratched from screaming. Her hand ached from Maggie’s grip.

“That was amazing,” she said once they were off the ride and walking through the crowd again.

Alex grinned.

Maggie snorted. “You two are weird.”

“We live with a carnival,” Alex scoffed. “We’re all mad here.” She flourished her hand out.

“Well, you’re the one quoting  _ Alice in Wonderland _ . Pretty sure that’s an extra level of weird.”

“Technically, it’s  _ Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” _

“Not helping your case, Alex.”

Alex shrugged. “Where to next?”

“Drop tower,” Maggie replied.

Lucy raised an eyebrow. Her cheeks hurt from smiling.

“So, you’ll happily do the drop tower, but not the Fire Ball?”

Maggie looked at her. “The drop tower doesn’t go upside down.”

Lucy chuckled.

They made their way through the drop tower, then the tilt-a-whirl, before Alex and Maggie dragged Lucy to the back of the carnival.

_ Ladies and gentlemen and distinguished guests. _

Lucy stopped, just like everyone around them, as the voice appeared. It seemed to rise up from the ground, sink down from the sky, seep from every surface around them.

But, at the same time, it seemed to come from deep within her.

_ This is your warning. In ten minutes time, once the rays from the sun are no longer there to hold them back, the demons of the past will break free. We are prepared and able to contain them within the boundaries of our funfair, so if you wish to avoid the horrors that await, we please ask that you do the smart thing and leave. _

_ If you wish to tempt fate, met us in front of the big top. _

Lucy blinked as the voice faded.

Alex and Maggie grinned at her.

“Cool, huh?” Alex asked.

“What the hell was that?” Lucy asked.

They both just laughed and started to pull her along again.

They snaked through the crowd, until they slid into a pocket of shadow to the side. Alex wrapped an arm around both of their waists.

“Is this okay?” she mumbled in Lucy’s ear, flexing her fingers against Lucy’s hip.

Lucy nodded as she sunk back into Alex.

There was something about these girls that put her at ease. The churning in her stomach she usually felt when she so much as thought of another woman had been replaced by fluttering butterflies.

A stage had been set up in front of the big top. The crowd around it was thick. People spoke in hushed conversation.

“What’s going to happen?” Lucy asked.

“Just watch,” Maggie said, reaching over to lace her fingers through Lucy’s.

The light in the area dimmed, extinguishing the conversations.

Lucy pushed further back into Alex, into the shadow.

_ Ladies _

The same voice from before snaked through the crowd, weaving through their legs and climbing up to their ears.

_ Gentlemen _

Lucy’s heart started to pound.

_ Distinguished guests. You poor souls who refused our offer to escape. We welcome you. _

Strange noises whispered along the edges of the crowd.

_ We welcome you to a glimpse into the world beyond. _

What little light there was left vanished.

People screamed.

Alex’s arm tightened around Lucy’s waist.

Two red lights floated over the stage.

They vanished for a moment, as if...as if something had blinked.

It happened again.

There was a flash on the stage, fire and smoke, briefly illuminating a large, green creature. When the smoke settled, low lights turned on, showing a man where the creature had been.

“Humans,” he said. His voice was barely over a whisper as it spread through the area. “There is more to your world than you believe.”

The noises on the edges grew deeper and higher at the same time.

“We are the remnant of those you have pushed aside.” His eyes took a slight red glow. “We are what is left of the freaks and the outcast you beat and abused and forgot about in the night.”

Something rippled through the crowd. Lucy squinted.

She could just make out the forms moving through the crowd. Some weaved, sliding past people. Others barrelled, taking their space as people jumped away from them.

Lucy turned back to the stage and jumped.

The only thing that kept her from punching the face just inches from her own was Maggie holding her hand.

Paper white skin, pitch black eyes.

The person tilted their head, seeming to regard her, then they turned away.

Alex chuckled in her ear.

“You knew that was going to happen,” Lucy grumbled.

“Her name is Chestin,” Maggie said.

“You two are mean.”

They both laughed.

The people, actors, carnies, Lucy figured, gathered in front of the stage. They knelt.

“My brethren. My children,” the man said. His eyes grew brighter. “This is your night. This is your chance to take back what was once yours. Your chance to seek revenge for what was once done to you.”

The kneeling crowd roared as uncertainty and fear swept through those standing.

“So stand!” the man roared. His voice boomed and echoed. His form flickered between the man and the green creature. “Stand and pay back what was once done!”

The carnies stood. They turned.

Silence settled over the crowd.

The carnies stared as the visitors held their breaths.

Lucy squeezed Maggie’s hand, pushed back against Alex.

Movement.

Noise.

The crowd of visitors screamed as the carnies rushed them.

Alex pulled Lucy further back into the shadow as people rushed past them.

“That was amazing,” Lucy laughed once the area had cleared. “Absolutely terrifying, but amazing.”

“Thank you.”

Lucy blinked. The man from the stage was walking towards them.

“Girls,” he said, nodding towards Alex and Maggie.

“Hi, J’onn,” Alex replied.

Lucy was suddenly very aware of Alex’s arm still around her waist, of Maggie’s hand in her own.

J’onn’s eyebrow twitched, then he smiled.

“You girls have fun. Just remember, Lucy, who knows what might be waiting to jump out if you stray too far from these two.”

He turned and walked away.

Lucy stared after him, wide eyed, as Alex pressed her face into Lucy’s hair.

“Did he just wing man for you two?” Lucy asked.

Maggie chuckled. “No more than your mother did earlier.”

Lucy groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

“What do you want to do now?” Alex asked.

“What do you suggest?” Lucy replied.

Maggie let go of her hand and Alex dropped her arm as they stepped out of the shadow.

“Well, the haunted house is always my first suggestion,” Alex said.

“And you can suggest it after I'm gone,” Maggie said.

Alex laughed. “How can you watch the scariest movies without a problem, but can't stand the house?”

“It's different when I'm actually there.”

“Whatever you say. It just leaves me as the only person for Lucy to turn to.”

“You say that like you expect me to get scared,” Lucy cut in.

“I have yet to see anyone go through it the first time and not be terrified,” Alex said.

“Then be prepared to be amazed.”

Alex laughed. Nudged Lucy with her shoulder. “We’ll see.”

“How about we walk for a bit, then get some food?” Maggie suggested. “Show you the haunting.”

Lucy grinned at her. “Sounds like a plan.”

There was an ominous feel throughout the carnival as Alex and Maggie led her around.

The shadows seemed darker than they should be. Things kept moving in the corner of her eyes.

Never mind the constant worry of a costumed carny jumping out.

They finally made their way to a pizza stand, and took their slices to a hill just outside the fairgrounds. They sat in the grass, Alex and Maggie on either side of Lucy.

“How’s the haunting holding up?” Maggie asked.

“It’s fucking creepy,” Lucy said.

Alex and Maggie laughed.

They settled into silence as they ate.

Lucy finished quickly. She leaned back on her elbows.

The light of the carnival was stark against the night sky. It danced on Alex and Maggie’s skin. Carnival music interspersed with screams filled the air.

“Do you two do this in every town you stop at?” she asked.

They both turned towards her.

“Do what?” Alex asked.

“Pick up a local girl.”

“Every now and then,” Alex said. “Although, you're the first to go for both of us.”

“Guess I just have better taste.”

Maggie laughed, leaned towards Lucy to press a quick kiss to her jaw.

Heat rose up Lucy's neck, then rose higher when Alex copied Maggie.

“So, uh, what now?” Lucy asked, picking at the remaining crust from her pizza.

“More rides?” Maggie suggested, reaching across Lucy to slide her own crust onto Alex's plate.

“What about those dark rides?”

“No. Nope nope nope.”

Alex chuckled. “She won't do those either.”

“I would, then you made me watch that movie set in one.”

“The dark ride horror movie?” Lucy asked. “With the serial killer in the ride? And the chick gets beheaded while blowing a guy?”

“Yup,” Maggie said, then shuddered.

“You help put the rides together. You know everyone who works here,” Alex said. “You know there's nobody in there.”

“Doesn't matter,” Maggie said.

“Then just some of the normal rides?” Lucy suggested.

“Works for me,” Alex said. She pointed at Lucy's crust. “You gunna eat that?”

Lucy held her plate towards Alex. “Go ahead.”

Alex took it, then stood, walking backwards away from them. “What're you waiting for?”

Lucy and Maggie glanced at each other, before chasing after her.

They wandered around the fairgrounds, Lucy in the middle as they walked, Maggie in the middle on rides.

They moved from the neon brights of the rides to the shadows crawling with uncertainty and unease.

Lucy’s hand found Maggie’s at one point, the darkness bringing a sense of safety. Alex's arm draped over her shoulders at another.

They ignored protests as they jumped the lines for the matterhorn, the bumper cars, the Flying Saucer.

When it came time for Maggie to head out to her shift, she pulled them into the shadow between the Ferris Wheel and the hoop toss. She kissed Alex, hand tugging at Alex's hair. She pulled back after a moment, glanced at Lucy, leaned towards her.

Then, she was gone, Lucy stared after her as she traced the spot in her cheek Maggie had kissed.

“Haunted house?” Alex asked.

“Yeah.”

She let Alex take her hand and pull her through the crowd.

“We aren't going to be able to jump the line this time,” Alex said. “You're alright with waiting, right?”

“I am.”

“Want a snack for the line?”

“Sure.”

Alex detoured a bit as they crossed the carnival. She leaned over the counter of a food truck, waving at the man inside as she grabbed two pretzels.

Lucy picked at her pretzel as they made their way towards the tent.

“I know you said you wont get scared,” Alex said. “But, if you do, and need to get out, just let me know and I can sneak us out.”

Lucy smiled as she pulled off another piece of pretzel.

“Although, there is one part I won’t be able to, but everyone is given the option to leave before then.”

Lucy bumped her shoulder into Alex’s. “Thanks.”

As they walked, the big top slowly bled through the dark, shrouded in the night despite the light of the fairground.

“It looks bigger in the dark,” Lucy murmured.

Alex chuckled, pressed a bit closer against her side.

They skirted around a few booths, finding the end of the haunted house line funneled into a path of hay bales.

“These weren’t here earlier,” Lucy said, plucking a straw from one.

“We have a crew that sets it up,” Alex answered.

They settled in line behind a group of boys, in front of a couple who barely let six inches get between then.

Lucy was hyper aware of the space between her and Alex, hyper aware of wanting to close it, of the knot in her gut at the thought of doing so so close to others.

The line skirted the edge of the carnival, blurred between the music of the carnival and the rustling of the corn field.

“So, what brought you to Smallville?” Alex asked.

Lucy shrugged, swallowed the pretzel she was chewing. “My mom's here. It was the best place after I left the Academy.”

Alex hummed, started to fold the paper from her pretzel.

“How'd you end up working at a carnival?” Lucy asked.

“Grew up in it.”

“Really?”

Alex hummed again.

“So, your parents work here?”

Alex shook her head, shoved the folded paper in her pocket. “They died when I was a kid.”

“Oh.”

“It's fine. I've still got Kara, and the carnival.”

Lucy ducked her head, chewed on the inside of her cheek as she shuffled her feet a bit.

“Really, it's fine,” Alex said. She nudged Lucy, prompting her to look back up.

Lucy sucked in a breath at the sharp contrast of the carnival lights and the corn field darkness across Alex’s face.

“Sorry for killing the mood,” Alex said.

“Oh, was there a mood?”

Alex blinked, then laughed.

Corn rustled on the other side of the hay bales. Lucy jumped away from the movement, the noise. The woman of the couple behind them shrieked. The boys in front laughed.

“Have you heard the story of the roggenwolf?” Alex asked asked. Her voice dropped, seeping into the dark.

Lucy shook her head.

“Corn wolves,” Alex said.

Lucy glanced between Alex and the corn past her as they stepped forward with the line.

“Fully grown wolves, with fur colored to blend into the tallest stalks of corn.”

Silence settled around them, the boys ahead and the couple behind all listening.

“Their cries sound like the irrigation misters used in parts of the midwest.” Alex looked out over the field. “Minnesota. The Dakotas. Nebraska.” She looked back to Lucy. “Kansas.”

The stalks rustled as corn tinged wind blew over them.

“They stalk the fields under the stars,” Alex continued. “Searching for any children lost in the rows.”

“Wadda they do with the kids?” one of the boys pushed.

Alex’s smirk grew sharp, teeth glinting in the light of the carnival. “A wolf has to eat, doesn’t it?”

The boy’s eyes grew wide, he turned to his friends with a pale face. He jerked away as the corn rustled again.

“Just stay out of the fields and you’ll be safe,” Alex told him. “And if you ever suddenly hear the water going, run.”

The boys nodded.

The line moved forward, hair pinned around as the reached the side of the tent. Screams were barely audible through the fabric. The looming structure blotted out the stars above them.

“You got any other stories?” Lucy asked.

“Loads.”

Alex's voice encased the area, entrancing everyone in line around them, her cadence gentle against the screams, her tone soothing as she told of creatures and hauntings across the states.

Goosebumps crawled up Lucy's neck at the conflict between the tone and the subject. A weight settled on her chest as they crept around the side of the tent, leaving the lights of the carnival behind completely.

“This very carnival used to be a freak show,” Alex said as the entrance to the tent came into view. “It traveled across the country inviting people in to get a glimpse of the unusual, the bizarre. Of course, caution had to be taken, as the life could be a dangerous one.”

She reached out, brushed her hand across the fabric of the tent, across a slightly different shade of dark.

“1904. Just outside of Toccoa, Georgia. Some locals took offense to some of the people working the carnival. They set fire to the campsite, burned part of the tent.”

Alex's touch softened. Her fingers barely skimming the fabric as she stared with wide eyes.

“Two people died. A young girl and her mother who rushed into the flame to save her. At night, you can sometimes hear their cries. But, during the day, if you manage to catch the tent in silence, you can hear the girl's laughter, the way she was laughing before the fire.”

Silence took the area. Lucy, the boys, the couple, the rest of the line nearby, watched Alex's still figure, barely illuminated by the light. Her hand stayed on the tent, even as a shrill shriek from inside shocked the rest. Alex's fingers simply curled up before she dropped her hand.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” The cry cut through the silence, pulling their attention to the boy standing on top of a nearby bale. “May I have your attention, please.”

He grinned down at them, teeth glinting despite shadow covering the rest of his face.

“In just a few minutes, you will be embarking on a journey of delight, of mystery, of unending horror. You may exit the line at any time, but once inside, there is no escape. You have been warned.”

Alex reached out, squeezing Lucy's hand once before dropping it.

“Please remember,” the boy continued. “To keep your hands to yourself and your loved ones. Any harm that comes to anyone inside will not be tolerated. Besides, you never know what might decide to follow you in retaliation.”

He stepped backwards off the bale, vanishing into the dark.

Lucy pressed close to Alex’s side. The boys ahead and the couple behind started murmuring. Lucy could make out the bravado of the boys, the man assuring the woman he’d keep her safe.

“You sure you want to do this?” Alex asked, voice quiet.

“I’m sure,” Lucy answered. Her heart was already pounding in her ears, but she wasn’t about to back down.

Alex smiled softly, eyes glinting in the faint torches set up at the entrance.

“So, you’ll lead the way once we’re inside, right?” Alex asked, smile sharpening into a smirk.

“Oh, that’s all on you,” Lucy said.

“But will you get the true experience if you just follow me the entire time?”

“I think I will.”

Alex chuckled.

The boys in front of them were led through a flap by a person in a black cloak and hood. Broken circus music escaped through the brief opening.

“There, uh, aren’t clowns, are there?” Lucy asked, what she was about to do hitting her.

Alex’s smirk did nothing to reassure her.

Lucy focused on her breathing, keeping it even.

And they were inside.

Lucy found Alex’s hand as they were led through a dark room. Alex squeezed lightly.

The dark squeezed inwards. Lucy pushed against Alex’s side. Alex wrapped an arm around her.

There was a split second of light, a square line in the dark, then Lucy pushed back, ramming Alex into the opposite wall as a clown appeared in an open panel.

“You’re almost there. Keep going. Keep going.”

Alex tightened her arm around Lucy, started to pull her along, but heavy breathing next to her sent ice through Lucy’s muscles.

“You’re almost at the show.”

Lucy curled into Alex at the new voice just inches from her ear, cutting through the pounding of her heart. She let Alex guide her to the next room.

“I thought you weren’t going to get scared.”

“Shut up,” Lucy huffed, forcing herself to pull away from Alex.

She stepped into the room, hands shaking, heart in her throat.

Growls and hisses and shrieks filled the air. Cages lined the walls. Dark masses moved beyond the bars.

Humanoid. Twisted and hunched.

One leapt towards her, making her jump back into the bars of the cage behind her. A misshapen hand stretched through the bars. Growling rumbled in her ears from behind.

She jerked to the side, away from both cages, glancing back at Alex, walking casually and grinning.

“Glad you think this is funny,” Lucy grumbled, eyeing the cages.

Alex wrapped an arm around Lucy again. “All that bravado from earlier, gone in thirty seconds. It’s hilarious.”

“I hate clowns, threw me off right away.”

“Did you not think there would be clowns in the carnival haunted house?”

They pushed through to the next room.

The broken circus music mingled with the fog. Shivers rose up Lucy’s neck at the footsteps and footsteps and footsteps just out of sight. The fog settled in Lucy’s chest, muffled her ears.

She looked around, looked around. Alex held her close, kept her on track. She jumped as a voice rose up.

“Welcome, unfortunate visitors, to our carnival.”

The fog vanished, replaced by bright, flashing lights.

Lucy breathed. Breathed. Breathed.

Figures contorted and vanished and appeared.

The floor shifted, shifted back.

The music distorted, broke, rose and fell in volume.

Lucy twisted her hand in Alex’s shirt, trusting her to keep her on track.

“We hope you enjoy the show,” the voice continued.

Darkness.

Silence.

Lucy froze.

Alex’s voice in her ear, hand on her back. “Keep going. I’ve got you.”

“Fuck this,” Lucy murmured.

“You’re doing good,” Alex said, gently coaxing her to keep walking.

They pushed through something hanging.

Music flowed through the air, unbroken, gentle.

Soft light appeared at the end of a hallway made of the canvas of a tent.

Canvas that hands tried to push through, bulging out into the hallway, brushing against her shoulders, sides.

Lucy pulled her focus in, keeping her breathing steady, not running ahead, away from Alex.

A clown jumped out from around a corner.

Lucy screamed, stumbled back, would have fallen without Alex’s grip on her.

The clown laughed. Loud, twisted, high-pitched.

“Oh, shut up,” Lucy growled. “Fucking asshole. That’s fucking rude.”

The clown laughed.

Alex chuckled.

Lucy fought the urge to shove her towards the clown.

They turned the corner the clown had come from.

Tent flaps folded to the side. Red and white lights surrounding the entrance.

On the other side, a ringmaster stood on a raised platform, cracking a whip, grinning at them.

Lucy’s gut sank as they stepped closer.

Sharp teeth glinted even as dark eyes reflected no light.

“I’m so happy you survived.” 

The voice slithered up her leg, wound up her torso, hissed in her ear.

“My employees, well…” A chuckle. “They haven’t been behaving themselves lately. A little too much fun.” A smirk. “Do try to find the way out safely.”

A flash of light.

Darkness.

The lights were back on before Lucy’s scream ended.

The ringmaster was gone.

“Fuck this place,” Lucy said. “Fucking vanishing act. Fucking lights. Fuck.”

Alex laughed. “You good?”

“Yeah.” Lucy ran a hand through her hair. “Let’s…”

She screamed as a mime - not a clown, look at them branching out - jumped out from a hidden entrance nearby.

“Motherfucker!”

She leaned against the wall, stared at the entrance to make sure he didn’t try again, and pressed a hand to her chest. If she pressed hard enough, maybe she could calm it down.

Alex stepped up, pulled her into a hug.

“We can go if you want,” she murmured.

“No. No way. I’m finishing this.”

Lucy took a deep breath -- Alex smelled like fried dough and sugar -- and pulled out of the hug.

“Alright. I got this.”

She clung to Alex’s arm as they circled around the ringmaster’s platform, exited through another open tent flap, and nearly walked right into the shirtless, bloody strongman jumping out at them.

“Fuck,” Lucy cried, pushing into Alex, pushing Alex into the wall. “Fuck’s your shirt?” she yelled after him as he retreated. “Fucking shirtless men now, covered in blood so they can’t even be sexy, fuck this shit.”

Alex was shaking with laughter as Lucy clung to her.

“Oh, fuck you, too,” Lucy grumbled.

“Not in here.”

Lucy stared at her, eyes wide.

Alex looked at the floor, rubbed the back of her neck. “Sorry that was…” She shrieked as the shirtless man jumped out again with an inhuman cry. “Fuck off, Phil!”

Lucy stared for another moment, then started laughing, leaning on Alex, head pressed to Alex’s shoulder.

“He fucking got you,” she wheezed out.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Alex mumbled. “C’mon, we need to keep moving.”

Lucy clung to Alex as they made their way through the rest of the house, pushing Alex between her and the actors whenever she got a chance, nearly falling three times, actually falling twice. Her throat was sore as they finally stepped out of the tent, into the barn it was backed up to.

“Are we done?” she asked, glancing around the barn.

Workers in black cloaks milled around, directing people two different ways. The group of boys was heading towards the large doors exiting to the midway.

“With that part, yes,” Alex replied.

Lucy tensed. “That part?”

Alex hummed, nodded towards the structure set up in the middle of the barn. “Mirror maze. Even worse than the house.”

Lucy squinted. There were signs hung up on plywood walls.

**No turning back now**

**18+ only**

**The bravest only**

“We can come back later,” Alex continued. “Just do the maze.”

“Sure, yeah,” Lucy said. “If that’s what you want, of course.”

She relaxed into Alex’s side as they made their way to the exit, made their way outside. It exited to the back of the carnival, the music and sounds only barely reaching them. The path back was lit with soft lights on the ground.

“What did you think?” Alex asked, voice low.

“It was a little scary,” Lucy answered.

Alex chuckled. “Just a little?”

“Okay, more than a little.”

She took a deep breath. Another.

She focused on the feel of Alex next to her, the wind brushing past them, trying to bring her heartbeat back down.

“You said the maze is worse?” she asked.

“Yeah, although it’s more psychological stuff than jump scares.”

Lucy grimaced. “Fun.”

“We don’t have to do it,” Alex said.

“Oh, we’re doing it,” Lucy said.

“We could do it later in the week?” Alex offered. “We could meet up for lunch before, and I might be able to talk to J’onn, get us in when it’s empty.”

“You asking me for a date?”

A blush rose up Alex’s cheeks, barely visible in the night.

“Maybe.”

“How can I know how to answer if I don’t know what you’re asking?”

“Fine. I’m asking you on a date.”

“Just you and me?”

“Maggie won’t do the maze, but if you want her to, I know she’d be down to join us for lunch.”

“I would love to. Next question.”

“Sure?”

“Would it count as a second or first date?”

“That’s up to you, but maybe we should talk to Maggie about that one.”

Lucy nodded. “Alright.”

They turned around the corner of a booth, and stepped onto the midway proper. Lucy pulled away from Alex, ignoring her instincts to keep a hold of her as fear continued to coil in the back of her neck.

“Anything you want to do now?” Alex asked.

“Can we just find somewhere to sit for a bit? Somewhere not crowded?”

“Course.”

Alex guided her through the crowds, somehow threading the line of too far and too close the entire time. She led Lucy back to the hill they had eaten pizza on.

They settled in the darkness, Lucy leaning back into Alex. She watched the movement of the carnival, the colors, the people, the rides. She slowly settled, pulse slowing, muscles relaxing. She fell into a lull, the world narrowing to Alex and the carnival.

After a time, a flashlight passed over them, a figure appearing in the light from the carnival.

Lucy tensed, her heart spiking again.

“There you are,” Maggie’s voice cut through the dark.

“Hey, babe,” Alex replied, fingers trailing patterns on Lucy’s hip.

“What’re you two up to?” Maggie stepped close enough for Lucy to make her out.

Black pants, a dark shirt with reflective  _ security  _ in the corner of her chest.

“We’re utterly defiling the Earth,” Alex replied.

Maggie snorted. She sat, leaving Lucy between the two.

“Lucy and I are going to meet for lunch later in the week, then go through the maze, want to join?” Alex asked.

“I know you’re just asking about me joining lunch.”

Alex laughed, shaking herself and Lucy.

“She said you’d say that,” Lucy said.

Maggie laughed. “Yeah, I’ll be there for lunch.”

Static filled the air, then  _ “Sawyer.” _

Maggie sighed. “Probably another vomiter.” She pulled a walkie talkie from her belt. “Go for Sawyer.”

_ “Chunks on the Tilt.” _

Maggie sighed. “10-4. Be right there.” She clipped the walkie back onto her belt. “Vomiter.”

“Any idea when you’ll be off tonight?” Alex asked.

“Late. Things have been crazy. I probably won’t see you again tonight until well after close.”

“Damn.”

“Yeah.”

_ “Sawyer.” _

Maggie groaned, pulled the walkie back out. “I’m coming.”

“Joys of being new on the sec team?” Alex laughed.

“Yeah, well, we can’t all stay in dough fry.”

Maggie leaned forward, hand resting over Alex’s on Lucy’s hip, sandwiching Lucy between them. She kissed Alex over Lucy’s shoulder, then pressed a kiss to Lucy’s cheek.

“It was nice to meet you. I can’t wait until lunch.”

“Me either.”

Maggie pulled back, stood. “I’ll see you tonight, Alex?”

“Of course,” Alex replied.

And Maggie was gone, blurring back into the lights of the carnival.

Lucy pulled away from Alex enough to fall back to the grass, staring up at the sky.

“I think I ate too much junk,” she grumbled, resting a hand on her stomach.

Alex chuckled, laid down next to her. “I’m not sure we have anything that’ll help with that here.”

“I’m good with just laying here for a bit.”

“We can do that.”

They did.

**Author's Note:**

> when will it continue? no idea. I'm focusing on a specific fic for nanowrimo but there is def more planned at some point
> 
> Chapter title comes from Madame Endora, a song from Nox Arcana's _Carnival of Lost Souls _album, which was basically what I listened to while writing most of this.  
>  The given chapter amount is a total guess, it is fully open to changing once I actually continue writing.__
> 
> __Comments and kudos are love ❤_ _


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